DOCSLIB.ORG

Elapomorphus Quinquelineatus (Five-Lined Burrowing Snake): Feeding on Squamate Eggs

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Elapomorphus Quinquelineatus (Five-Lined Burrowing Snake): Feeding on Squamate Eggs NATURAL HISTORY NOTE The Herpetological Bulletin 129, 2014: 28-29 Elapomorphus quinquelineatus (five-lined burrowing snake): Feeding on squamate eggs. SILVIA R. TRAVAGLIA-CARDOSO1*, GIUSEPPE PUORTO1 & OTAVIO A.V. MARQUES2 1Museu Biológico, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil 2Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil * Corresponding author email: [email protected] Certain snakes are known to feed upon squamate eggs, and the snake swallowing them. A large Liophis miliaris egg specialised species of snakes can have morphological and (diameter ≈ 15 mm) was entirely ingested, and the snake behavioural traits associated with this food habit (Scanlon took over 30 min to swallow it (Fig. 1, Table 1). In the last & Shine, 1988; Queiroz & Rodrigues-Robles, 2006). For experiment with a larger Oxyrhopus guibei egg (diameter example, the Taiwan snake (Oligodon formosus) uses ≈ 8 mm), the snake tried grasping the egg numerous times enlarged blade-like rear maxillary teeth to make repeated but stopped after 4 hours. The snake died a few months slashes in the leathery egg shell, allowing the snake to insert later and its remains were deposited in the herpetological its head and swallow the yolk (Coleman et al., 1993). The collection of the Instituto Butantan (IBSP 85164). American Scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea), another E. quinquelineatus belongs to the Elapomorphini that egg-eater specialist, possesses enlarged posterior maxillary also includes two other genera (Apostolepis and Phalotris) teeth that pierce large eggs. A combination of vigorous and almost 40 species of rear fanged snakes that are widely chewing and depressing of the snake’s body expel most distributed in South America (Ferrarezzi, 1993; SBH, of the egg’s contents (Palmer et al., 1970). These two 2014). These burrowing snakes seem to be very specialised snakes, and the African colubrid of the genus Prosymna, predators, feeding upon elongated squamata (Savitzky, another squamate egg-eater, also swallow the whole egg 1979). Factual data on the food habits of Elapomorphini (Broadledy, 1979). Among Neotropical dipsadid snakes, are scarce in the literature, but dissection of preserved at least Drepanoides anomalus (Pseudoboini) and some specimens has always revealed amphisbaenids and species of Lystrophis (Xenodontini) may be squamate egg- fossorial snakes in their guts (e.g. Zamprogno & Sazima, eater specialists. However, some none egg-eater specialist 1993; Bernarde & Macedo-Bernarde, 2006; Braz et al., dipsadids occasionally use this food item (see Greene 2013). Recent reports described amphisbaenians as prey & Jaksic, 1992; Gaiarsa et al., 2013). Here we report an of E. quinquelineatus (Hartmann, 2009; Caramaschi & additional possible case of egg eating among neotropical Niemeyer, 2012; Duarte, 2012) confirming that this snake dipsadid. This is the first time egg eating has been reported has a diet similar to other Elapomorphini. However, eggs for an Elapomorphini snake, which accepted snake eggs in are an unrecorded and unexpected food item for such captivity. snakes. The data in the present study was obtained from An adult female Elapomorphus quinquelineatus (SVL = snakes in captivity, where they can eat food items that 580 mm, tail = 60 mm, diameter at the middle body = 10.6 are not eaten in nature (pers. obs.). However, an egg is mm, head width = 10.3 mm, mass = 32 g) was collected an inert item that is unlikely to be accepted by a snake if on 10 July 2013 in the municipality of São Paulo (23°32’ it is not recognised as food. Moreover, the snake refused S, 46°37’ W) and housed in a 54 x 37 x 15 cm terrarium to eat the mice and lizards. Thus, it is plausible that with a corrugated paperboard substrate. The snake always E. quinquelineatus could ingest a snake egg if it found accepted young snakes as food, but refused mice (Mus one in nature. Among neotropical snakes, the Pseudoboini musculus) and small lizards (Hemidactylus mabouia). On group may comprise the highest number of species that 4 November 2013 at 8:35 hrs, this snake laid two eggs with prey upon squamate eggs, including the highly specialised normal appearance (aspect and coloration). Approximately Drepanoides anomalus (Martins & Oliveira, 1998; Gaiarsa 20 minutes after the eggs were laid, the snake ingested one of et al., 2013). Queiroz & Rodriguez-Robles (2006) verified the eggs. The other egg was not removed from the terrarium, that egg eating is especially likely to arise in snake species and after approximately 12 hours the snake ingested it. The that already feed on animals that lay eggs. We expect that swallowing time ranged from four to almost seven minutes. squamate egg eating is most common among Pseudoboini After this, eggs of the three dipsadid snakes (n = 4, Table 1) snakes because this group feeds predominantly on were placed in the terrarium on different days at a minimum squamates (Gaiarsa et al., 2013). However, Elapomorphini interval of three days. Two Sibynomorphus mikanii eggs snakes also fall within this prediction because they feed on with a diameter of <10 mm (and therefore smaller than the fossorial squamates and they exploit a microhabitat where snake’s diameter) were ingested, but we did not observe other squamates usually lay their eggs. 28 Herpetological Bulletin 129 (2014) Elapomorphus quinquelineatus: Feeding on squamate eggs. Date Species Egg length / Egg Ingestion egg diameter mass time (mm) (g) 04/11/2013 E. quinquelineatus - - 6m 40s 04/11/2013 E. quinquelineatus - - 4m 14s 08/11/2013 S. mikanii 27.5 / 9 3.0 Not timed 11/11/2013 S. mikanii 28 / 8.6 3.3 Not timed 14/11/2013 L. miliaris 26 / 15.7 5.6 32m 26s 25/11/2013 O. guibei 31.2 / 18 6.2 Not ingested Figure 1. E. quinquelineatus (captive female) swallowing a Table 1. Eggs of various snake species offered to a captive large egg of the xenodontid snake L. miliaris. E. quinquelineatus, their dimensions and time taken for complete ingestion. Greene, H.W. & Jaksic, F.J. (1992). The feeding ACKNOWLEDGMENTS behaviour and natural history of two Chilean snakes, Philodryas chamissonis and Tachymenis We thank Angelica Gomes da Silva for laboratory chilensis (Colubridae). Revista Chilena de Historia assistance. This work was supported by FAPESP and Natural 65: 485-493. CNPQ (fellowships to OAVM). Martins, M. & Oliveira, M.E. (1998). Natural history of snakes in forests of the Manaus Region, Central REFERENCES Amazonia, Brazil. Herpetological Natural History 6: 78-150. Braz, H.B.P., Araujo,C.O. & Almeida-Santos, S.M. Palmer, W. M. & Tregembo, G. (1970). Notes on the natural (2013). Reproductive ecology and diet of the fossorial history of the scarlet snake Cemophora coccinea copei snake Phalotris lativittatus in the Brazilian Cerrado. in North Carolina. Herpetologica 26: 300-302. Herpetological Journal 24: 49-57. Queiroz, A. & Rodrigues-Robles, J.A. (2006). Historical Bernarde, P.S. & Macedo-Bernarde, L.C. (2006). Phalotris contingency and animal diets: the origins of egg eating matogrossensis (False coral snake). Diet. Herpetological in snakes. The American Naturalist 167: 682-692. Review 37: 234. Savitzky, A.H. (1979). The origin of the New World Broadledy, G. (1979). Predation on reptile eggs by African proteroglyphous snakes and its bearing on the study of snakes of the genus Prosymna. Herpetologica 35: 338- the venom delivery systems in snakes. Ph.D. Thesis, 341. University of Kansas, Lawrence. Caramaschi, U. & Niemeyer, H. (2012). Unsuccessful Scanlon, J.D. & Shine, R. (1988). Dentition and diet in predation of Elapomorphus quinquelineatus snakes: adaptations to oophagy in the Australian elapid (Serpentes: Colubridae) on Amphisbaena microcephala genus Simoselaps. Journal of Zoology 216: 519-528. (Amphisbaenia: Amphisbaenidae). Herpetology Notes 5: Sociedade Brasileira de Herpetologia - SBH. (2014). 429-430. Lista de Répteis do Brasil. Disponível em: <http:// Coleman, K., Rothfuss, L.A., Ota, H. & Kardong, www. sbherpetologia.org.br>. K.V. (1993). Kinematics of egg-eating in Zamprogno, C. & Sazima, I. (1993). Vertebrate predation the specialized Taiwan snake Oligodon on the Neotropical amphisbaenian Leposternon formosus (Colubridae). Jounal of Herpetology 27: 320- wuchereri. Herpetological Review 24: 82-83. 327. Duarte, M.R. (2012). Elapomorphus quinquelineatus (Raddi’s lizard-eating snake). Diet. Herpetological Review 43: 146. Ferrarezzi, H. (1993). Sistemática filogenética de Elapomorphus, Phalotris e Apostolepis (Serpentes: Colubridae: Xenodontinae). (Ph. D. Dissertation). Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 277 p. Gaiarsa, M. P., Alencar, L. R. V. & Martins, M. (2013). Natural history of Pseudoboine snakes. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 55: 261-283. Herpetological Bulletin 129 (2014) 29.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bibliography and Scientific Name Index to Amphibians
    lb BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SCIENTIFIC NAME INDEX TO AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES IN THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON BULLETIN 1-8, 1918-1988 AND PROCEEDINGS 1-100, 1882-1987 fi pp ERNEST A. LINER Houma, Louisiana SMITHSONIAN HERPETOLOGICAL INFORMATION SERVICE NO. 92 1992 SMITHSONIAN HERPETOLOGICAL INFORMATION SERVICE The SHIS series publishes and distributes translations, bibliographies, indices, and similar items judged useful to individuals interested in the biology of amphibians and reptiles, but unlikely to be published in the normal technical journals. Single copies are distributed free to interested individuals. Libraries, herpetological associations, and research laboratories are invited to exchange their publications with the Division of Amphibians and Reptiles. We wish to encourage individuals to share their bibliographies, translations, etc. with other herpetologists through the SHIS series. If you have such items please contact George Zug for instructions on preparation and submission. Contributors receive 50 free copies. Please address all requests for copies and inquiries to George Zug, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560 USA. Please include a self-addressed mailing label with requests. INTRODUCTION The present alphabetical listing by author (s) covers all papers bearing on herpetology that have appeared in Volume 1-100, 1882-1987, of the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington and the four numbers of the Bulletin series concerning reference to amphibians and reptiles. From Volume 1 through 82 (in part) , the articles were issued as separates with only the volume number, page numbers and year printed on each. Articles in Volume 82 (in part) through 89 were issued with volume number, article number, page numbers and year.
    [Show full text]
  • A Molecular Phylogeny of the Lamprophiidae Fitzinger (Serpentes, Caenophidia)
    Zootaxa 1945: 51–66 (2008) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2008 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Dissecting the major African snake radiation: a molecular phylogeny of the Lamprophiidae Fitzinger (Serpentes, Caenophidia) NICOLAS VIDAL1,10, WILLIAM R. BRANCH2, OLIVIER S.G. PAUWELS3,4, S. BLAIR HEDGES5, DONALD G. BROADLEY6, MICHAEL WINK7, CORINNE CRUAUD8, ULRICH JOGER9 & ZOLTÁN TAMÁS NAGY3 1UMR 7138, Systématique, Evolution, Adaptation, Département Systématique et Evolution, C. P. 26, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 43 Rue Cuvier, Paris 75005, France. E-mail: [email protected] 2Bayworld, P.O. Box 13147, Humewood 6013, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] 3 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] 4Smithsonian Institution, Center for Conservation Education and Sustainability, B.P. 48, Gamba, Gabon. 5Department of Biology, 208 Mueller Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-5301 USA. E-mail: [email protected] 6Biodiversity Foundation for Africa, P.O. Box FM 730, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. E-mail: [email protected] 7 Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg, INF 364, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] 8Centre national de séquençage, Genoscope, 2 rue Gaston-Crémieux, CP5706, 91057 Evry cedex, France. E-mail: www.genoscope.fr 9Staatliches Naturhistorisches Museum, Pockelsstr. 10, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] 10Corresponding author Abstract The Elapoidea includes the Elapidae and a large (~60 genera, 280 sp.) and mostly African (including Madagascar) radia- tion termed Lamprophiidae by Vidal et al.
    [Show full text]
  • O Mimetismo Das Serpentes Corais Em Ambientes
    UNIVERSIDADE DE BRASÍLIA INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS DEPARTAMENTO DE ECOLOGIA O MIMETISMO DAS SERPENTES CORAIS EM AMBIENTES CAMPESTRES, SAVÂNICOS E FLORESTAIS DA AMÉRICA DO SUL Frederico Gustavo Rodrigues França Brasília-DF 2008 UNIVERSIDADE DE BRASÍLIA INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS DEPARTAMENTO DE ECOLOGIA O MIMETISMO DAS SERPENTES CORAIS EM AMBIENTES CAMPESTRES, SAVÂNICOS E FLORESTAIS DA AMÉRICA DO SUL Frederico Gustavo Rodrigues França Orientador: Alexandre Fernandes Bamberg de Araújo Tese apresentada ao Departamento de Ecologia do Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade de Brasília, como parte dos requisitos necessários para a obtenção do título de Doutor em Ecologia. Brasília-DF 2008 Trabalho realizado junto ao Departamento de Ecologia do Instituto de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade de Brasília, sob orientação do Prof. Alexandre Fernandes Bamberg de Araújo, com o apoio financeiro da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) e Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do título de Doutor em Ecologia. Data da Defesa: 01 de agosto de 2008 Banca Examinadora Prof. Dr. Alexandre Fernandes Bamberg de Araújo (Orientador) ________________________________________________ Prof. Dr. Daniel Oliveira Mesquita ________________________________________________ Prof. Dr. Guarino Rinaldi Colli ________________________________________________ Prof. Dr. Hélio Ricardo da Silva ________________________________________________ Prof. Dr. Raimundo
    [Show full text]
  • Snakes of the Everglades Agricultural Area1 Michelle L
    CIR1462 Snakes of the Everglades Agricultural Area1 Michelle L. Casler, Elise V. Pearlstine, Frank J. Mazzotti, and Kenneth L. Krysko2 Background snakes are often escapees or are released deliberately and illegally by owners who can no longer care for them. Snakes are members of the vertebrate order Squamata However, there has been no documentation of these snakes (suborder Serpentes) and are most closely related to lizards breeding in the EAA (Tennant 1997). (suborder Sauria). All snakes are legless and have elongated trunks. They can be found in a variety of habitats and are able to climb trees; swim through streams, lakes, or oceans; Benefits of Snakes and move across sand or through leaf litter in a forest. Snakes are an important part of the environment and play Often secretive, they rely on scent rather than vision for a role in keeping the balance of nature. They aid in the social and predatory behaviors. A snake’s skull is highly control of rodents and invertebrates. Also, some snakes modified and has a great degree of flexibility, called cranial prey on other snakes. The Florida kingsnake (Lampropeltis kinesis, that allows it to swallow prey much larger than its getula floridana), for example, prefers snakes as prey and head. will even eat venomous species. Snakes also provide a food source for other animals such as birds and alligators. Of the 45 snake species (70 subspecies) that occur through- out Florida, 23 may be found in the Everglades Agricultural Snake Conservation Area (EAA). Of the 23, only four are venomous. The venomous species that may occur in the EAA are the coral Loss of habitat is the most significant problem facing many snake (Micrurus fulvius fulvius), Florida cottonmouth wildlife species in Florida, snakes included.
    [Show full text]
  • Ancestral Reconstruction of Diet and Fang Condition in the Lamprophiidae: Implications for the Evolution of Venom Systems in Snakes
    Journal of Herpetology, Vol. 55, No. 1, 1–10, 2021 Copyright 2021 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Ancestral Reconstruction of Diet and Fang Condition in the Lamprophiidae: Implications for the Evolution of Venom Systems in Snakes 1,2 1 1 HIRAL NAIK, MIMMIE M. KGADITSE, AND GRAHAM J. ALEXANDER 1School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. PO Wits, 2050, Gauteng, South Africa ABSTRACT.—The Colubroidea includes all venomous and some nonvenomous snakes, many of which have extraordinary dental morphology and functional capabilities. It has been proposed that the ancestral condition of the Colubroidea is venomous with tubular fangs. The venom system includes the production of venomous secretions by labial glands in the mouth and usually includes fangs for effective delivery of venom. Despite significant research on the evolution of the venom system in snakes, limited research exists on the driving forces for different fang and dental morphology at a broader phylogenetic scale. We assessed the patterns of fang and dental condition in the Lamprophiidae, a speciose family of advanced snakes within the Colubroidea, and we related fang and dental condition to diet. The Lamprophiidae is the only snake family that includes front-fanged, rear-fanged, and fangless species. We produced an ancestral reconstruction for the family and investigated the pattern of diet and fangs within the clade. We concluded that the ancestral lamprophiid was most likely rear-fanged and that the shift in dental morphology was associated with changes in diet. This pattern indicates that fang loss, and probably venom loss, has occurred multiple times within the Lamprophiidae.
    [Show full text]
  • Short Communication Non-Venomous Snakebites in the Western Brazilian
    Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Journal of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine Vol.:52:e20190120: 2019 doi: 10.1590/0037-8682-0120-2019 Short Communication Non-venomous snakebites in the Western Brazilian Amazon Ageane Mota da Silva[1],[2], Viviane Kici da Graça Mendes[3],[4], Wuelton Marcelo Monteiro[3],[4] and Paulo Sérgio Bernarde[5] [1]. Instituto Federal do Acre, Campus de Cruzeiro do Sul, Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brasil. [2]. Programa de Pós-Graduação Bionorte, Campus Universitário BR 364, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, AC, Brasil. [3]. Universidade do Estado do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brasil. [4]. Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado, Manaus, AM, Brasil. [5]. Laboratório de Herpetologia, Centro Multidisciplinar, Campus Floresta, Universidade Federal do Acre, Cruzeiro do Sul, AC, Brasil. Abstract Introduction: In this study, we examined the clinical manifestations, laboratory evidence, and the circumstances of snakebites caused by non-venomous snakes, which were treated at the Regional Hospital of Juruá in Cruzeiro do Sul. Methods: Data were collected through patient interviews, identification of the species that were taken to the hospital, and the clinical manifestations. Results: Eight confirmed and four probable cases of non-venomous snakebites were recorded. Conclusions: The symptoms produced by the snakes Helicops angulatus and Philodryas viridissima, combined with their coloration can be confused with venomous snakes (Bothrops atrox and Bothrops bilineatus), thus resulting in incorrect bothropic snakebite diagnosis. Keywords: Serpentes. Dipsadidae. Snakes. Ophidism. Envenomation. Snakes from the families Colubridae and Dipsadidae incidence of cases is recorded (56.1 per 100,000 inhabitants)2. Of are traditionally classified as non-poisonous, despite having these, bites by non-venomous snakes are also computed (Boidae, the Duvernoy's gland and the capacity for producing toxic Colubridae, and Dipsadidae) which, depending on the region, secretions, which eventually cause envenomations1.
    [Show full text]
  • A Taxonomic Framework for Typhlopid Snakes from the Caribbean and Other Regions (Reptilia, Squamata)
    caribbean herpetology article A taxonomic framework for typhlopid snakes from the Caribbean and other regions (Reptilia, Squamata) S. Blair Hedges1,*, Angela B. Marion1, Kelly M. Lipp1,2, Julie Marin3,4, and Nicolas Vidal3 1Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-5301, USA. 2Current address: School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450, USA. 3Département Systématique et Evolution, UMR 7138, C.P. 26, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75231 Paris cedex 05, France. 4Current address: Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-5301 USA. *Corresponding author ([email protected]) Article registration: http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:47191405-862B-4FB6-8A28-29AB7E25FBDD Edited by: Robert W. Henderson. Date of publication: 17 January 2014. Citation: Hedges SB, Marion AB, Lipp KM, Marin J, Vidal N. 2014. A taxonomic framework for typhlopid snakes from the Caribbean and other regions (Reptilia, Squamata). Caribbean Herpetology 49:1–61. Abstract The evolutionary history and taxonomy of worm-like snakes (scolecophidians) continues to be refined as new molec- ular data are gathered and analyzed. Here we present additional evidence on the phylogeny of these snakes, from morphological data and 489 new DNA sequences, and propose a new taxonomic framework for the family Typhlopi- dae. Of 257 named species of typhlopid snakes, 92 are now placed in molecular phylogenies along with 60 addition- al species yet to be described. Afrotyphlopinae subfam. nov. is distributed almost exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa and contains three genera: Afrotyphlops, Letheobia, and Rhinotyphlops. Asiatyphlopinae subfam. nov. is distributed in Asia, Australasia, and islands of the western and southern Pacific, and includes ten genera:Acutotyphlops, Anilios, Asiatyphlops gen.
    [Show full text]
  • Early German Herpetological Observations and Explorations in Southern Africa, with Special Reference to the Zoological Museum of Berlin
    Bonner zoologische Beiträge Band 52 (2003) Heft 3/4 Seiten 193–214 Bonn, November 2004 Early German Herpetological Observations and Explorations in Southern Africa, With Special Reference to the Zoological Museum of Berlin Aaron M. BAUER Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA Abstract. The earliest herpetological records made by Germans in southern Africa were casual observations of common species around Cape Town made by employees of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) during the mid- to late Seven- teenth Century. Most of these records were merely brief descriptions or lists of common names, but detailed illustrations of many reptiles were executed by two German illustrators in the employ of the VOC, Heinrich CLAUDIUS and Johannes SCHUMACHER. CLAUDIUS, who accompanied Simon VAN DER STEL to Namaqualand in 1685, left an especially impor- tant body of herpetological illustrations which are here listed and identified to species. One of the last Germans to work for the Dutch in South Africa was Martin Hinrich Carl LICHTENSTEIN who served as a physician and tutor to the last Dutch governor of the Cape from 1802 to 1806. Although he did not collect any herpetological specimens himself, LICHTENSTEIN, who became the director of the Zoological Museum in Berlin in 1813, influenced many subsequent workers to undertake employment and/or expeditions in southern Africa. Among the early collectors were Karl BERGIUS and Ludwig KREBS. Both collected material that is still extant in the Berlin collection today, including a small number of reptile types. Because of LICHTENSTEIN’S emphasis on specimens as items for sale to other museums rather than as subjects for study, many species first collected by KREBS were only described much later on the basis of material ob- tained by other, mostly British, collectors.
    [Show full text]
  • (Wiegmann, 1835) (Reptilia, Squamata, Dipsadidae) from Chile
    Herpetozoa 32: 203–209 (2019) DOI 10.3897/herpetozoa.32.e36705 Observations on reproduction in captivity of the endemic long-tailed snake Philodryas chamissonis (Wiegmann, 1835) (Reptilia, Squamata, Dipsadidae) from Chile Osvaldo Cabeza1, Eugenio Vargas1, Carolina Ibarra1, Félix A. Urra2,3 1 Zoológico Nacional, Pio Nono 450, Recoleta, Santiago, Chile 2 Programa de Farmacología Molecular y Clínica, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Chile 3 Network for Snake Venom Research and Drug Discovery, Santiago, Chile http://zoobank.org/8167B841-8349-41A1-A5F0-D25D1350D461 Corresponding author: Osvaldo Cabeza ([email protected]); Félix A. Urra ([email protected]) Academic editor: Silke Schweiger ♦ Received 2 June 2019 ♦ Accepted 29 August 2019 ♦ Published 10 September 2019 Abstract The long-tailed snake Philodryas chamissonis is an oviparous rear-fanged species endemic to Chile, whose reproductive biology is currently based on anecdotic reports. The characteristics of the eggs, incubation time, and hatching are still unknown. This work describes for the first time the oviposition of 16 eggs by a female in captivity at Zoológico Nacional in Chile. After an incubation period of 59 days, seven neonates were born. We recorded data of biometry and ecdysis of these neonates for 9 months. In addition, a review about parameters of egg incubation and hatching for Philodryas species is provided. Key Words Chile, colubrids, eggs, hatching, oviposition, rear-fanged snake, reproduction Introduction Philodryas is a genus composed of twenty-three ovipa- especially P. aestiva (Fowler and Salomão 1995; Fowl- rous species widely distributed in South America (Grazzi- er et al. 1998), P. nattereri (Fowler and Salomão 1995; otinet al.
    [Show full text]
  • Zootaxa 2173
    Zootaxa 2173: 66–68 (2009) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Correspondence ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2009 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) On the status of the snake genera Erythrolamprus Boie, Liophis Wagler and Lygophis Fitzinger (Serpentes, Xenodontinae) FELIPE F. CURCIO1,2, VÍTOR DE Q. PIACENTINI1 & DANIEL S. FERNANDES3 1Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 11.461, CEP 05422-970, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. 2E-mail: [email protected] 3Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941–590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] The genus Erythrolamprus Boie (1826) comprises six species of Central and South American false coral snakes (Peters & Orejas-Miranda 1970; Zaher 1999; Curcio et al. 2009). It is traditionally allocated in the tribe Xenodontini (subfamily Xenodontinae), along with the genera Liophis, Lystrophis, Umbrivaga, Waglerophis and Xenodon (sensu Dixon 1980; Cadle 1984; Myers 1986; Ferrarezzi 1994; Zaher 1999). Although Xenodontini is supported by morphological and molecular evidence, phylogenetic relationships and classification within the tribe have been the subject of recent debate. Molecular phylogenetic studies have recovered clades with Erythrolamprus nested within some representatives of the genus Liophis (Vidal et al. 2000; Zaher et al. 2009), partly corroborating previous hypotheses based on morphology (e.g. Dixon 1980). Vidal et al.’s (2000) and Zaher et al.’s (2009) sampling of taxa of Erythrolamprus and Liophis is far from comprehensive, each including five species of traditional Liophis (only one of which is common to the two studies) and one species of Erythrolamprus.
    [Show full text]
  • Reptile Diversity in the Duas Bocas Biological Reserve, Espírito Santo, Southeastern Brazil
    ARTICLE Reptile diversity in the Duas Bocas Biological Reserve, Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil Jonathan Silva Cozer¹³; Juliane Pereira-Ribeiro²⁴; Thais Meirelles Linause¹⁵; Atilla Colombo Ferreguetti²⁶; Helena de Godoy Bergallo²⁷ & Carlos Frederico Duarte da Rocha²⁸ ¹ Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES), Departamento de Biologia. Vitória, ES, Brasil. ² Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes (IBRAG), Departamento de Ecologia (DECOL). Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. ³ ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4558-9990. E-mail: [email protected] ⁴ ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0762-337X. E-mail: [email protected] (corresponding author) ⁵ ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8186-0464. E-mail: [email protected] ⁶ ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5139-8835. E-mail: [email protected] ⁷ ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9771-965X. E-mail: [email protected] ⁸ ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3000-1242. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract. The lack of information on the occurrence of species in a region limits the understanding of the composition and structure of the local community and, consequently, restricts the proposition of effective measures for species conservation. In this study, we researched the reptiles in the Duas Bocas Biological Reserve (DBBR), Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. We analyzed the parameters of the local community, such as richness, composition, and abundance of species. We conducted samplings from August 2017 to January 2019, through active search. We performed the samplings in nine standard plots of 250 meters in length. All individuals located in the plots or occasionally on the trails were registered.
    [Show full text]
  • From Four Sites in Southern Amazonia, with A
    Bol. Mus. Para. Emílio Goeldi. Cienc. Nat., Belém, v. 4, n. 2, p. 99-118, maio-ago. 2009 Squamata (Reptilia) from four sites in southern Amazonia, with a biogeographic analysis of Amazonian lizards Squamata (Reptilia) de quatro localidades da Amazônia meridional, com uma análise biogeográfica dos lagartos amazônicos Teresa Cristina Sauer Avila-PiresI Laurie Joseph VittII Shawn Scott SartoriusIII Peter Andrew ZaniIV Abstract: We studied the squamate fauna from four sites in southern Amazonia of Brazil. We also summarized data on lizard faunas for nine other well-studied areas in Amazonia to make pairwise comparisons among sites. The Biogeographic Similarity Coefficient for each pair of sites was calculated and plotted against the geographic distance between the sites. A Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity was performed comparing all sites. A total of 114 species has been recorded in the four studied sites, of which 45 are lizards, three amphisbaenians, and 66 snakes. The two sites between the Xingu and Madeira rivers were the poorest in number of species, those in western Amazonia, between the Madeira and Juruá Rivers, were the richest. Biogeographic analyses corroborated the existence of a well-defined separation between a western and an eastern lizard fauna. The western fauna contains two groups, which occupy respectively the areas of endemism known as Napo (west) and Inambari (southwest). Relationships among these western localities varied, except between the two northernmost localities, Iquitos and Santa Cecilia, which grouped together in all five area cladograms obtained. No variation existed in the area cladogram between eastern Amazonia sites. The easternmost localities grouped with Guianan localities, and they all grouped with localities more to the west, south of the Amazon River.
    [Show full text]